Low Budget Wedding Music Ideas

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When planning low budget weddings, there are a few wedding music ideas to consider, two of which need to be decided on and booked early, sometimes almost two years in advance, to get who you want. If you're considering a live band or a wedding DJ service, the most popular ones often book two years into their planners for events. If you're planning on going really simple by just delegating someone to man an iPod or CD player for the day, planning months ahead really wouldn't be necessary.

Today many couples are having their wedding ceremonies and receptions at the same location, often times saving a good bit of money in the process. So if you're having your wedding ceremony at the same location as your reception, any of these wedding music ideas will work out great. The only thing you have to be mindful of is your budget.

If you're having your ceremony in a different location than the reception, for instance a church or public park, you may need to look at different wedding music ideas for each location as I'm sure a DJ wouldn't want to set up in a park or church, then break down his gear to move it to the reception and still have time to set up before the guests arrive.

Obviously at church ceremony you would probably have the church organist or guitarist playing your ceremony music for you while the DJ or band sets up at the reception location. And if you're having your reception immediately following the ceremony at the same location, the band or DJ or iPod person will be able to handle all your music needs from start to finish.

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Live Bands vs. DJs vs. iPods
Which is really the best?
Each has its own pros and cons so this is an individual choice really. The bottom line with low budget weddings is which will save you the most amount of money while still providing the best service for your money.

And with bands or DJs, you want to make sure they can play to the crowd and be able to please everyone with a wide variety of genres from classical and jazz to hip-hop, rap and rock.

DJs:
Sole operator or a company service? We favor the DJ company services as one of the top wedding music ideas for a couple of reasons. Some sole operators may tout that with the DJ companies you don't know who you're going to get for your event; in my research I haven't always found that to be true. But be sure to check the websites carefully and make sure that you're going to meet the DJ in person that will be conducting your event for you.

Live Band:
If you contract a band, they may not know all of the songs you want played or if they do, you may not like how it sounds. If something happens to a member or members of the band before your event, it may be really hard to find another band to book on short notice. On the other hand, if you personally know the band and its reputation, and you know anyone in the band, they may offer you a super discount on their services. So you'll get the experience of a great band at a low cost.

iPod music
If you're planning on having your cousin Joe or your Aunt Mary man iPod or CD player during your ceremony and/or reception, you want to make sure to have the system set up with a microphone and good speakers for announcements of key events during the wedding.

You also want to make sure your helpful friend or family member is comfortable speaking to crowds because after all, this person is going to be your "Emcee" for the day. For instance, the DJ or band leader would be responsible for announcing the names of the people in the wedding party, so make sure they know who everyone is ahead of time; they announce when it's time for the special dances, cutting the cake, the bouquet toss, and when the food is ready to be served.

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Your Emcee is also responsible for keeping the party going by entertaining the guests and keeping the timeline moving so things don't slow down. You want your guests to have fun, not sit around wondering what they're supposed to be doing. If you're not comfortable with putting this responsibility on any of your friends or family members, then it may be a good idea to look at other wedding music ideas that will fit in your budget so you're not sacrificing on the entertainment value of your wedding reception.

Tips for Making Sure Your Wedding Music Ideas Work:

Whether you decide on a band or a DJ, make sure they can guarantee that backup equipment is readily available should something happen with the equipment during the event. If you're using an iPod or CD player, have one on backup and ready to go should something go wrong with the player.

For professional services, look for a good website, package prices, photos, references and testimonials. It's also very convenient and shows to be able to song play list and upload the names of the people in your wedding party for the DJ to announce, schedule your event's timeline, etc.

When you've decided which of these music ideas will work the best for your event, shop around for the best package prices and what's included in those packages before asking for a quote and be sure to understand the contract before signing it.